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Reagins confident in current roster

Reagins confident in current roster

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By Lyle Spencer
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MLB.com |

CHICAGO -- As the injury list has grown, notably in the infield, in the wake of early-season pitching issues, the Angels have maintained their position atop the American League West. This has strengthened management's commitment in its farm system and the club's direction.

General manager Tony Reagins, here to check in with his club, gave no indication Friday night that the Angels would be looking outside the organization for reinforcements. Youngsters such as second baseman Sean Rodriguez and reliever Jose Arredondo have been making solid contributions in support of the veteran nucleus.

"I think we've got the pieces in place internally to get where we want to be," Reagins said. "Obviously, health is a factor. Every team has health issues, and you don't want to use it as an excuse. We just need to play our game, the style of baseball we play, and we'll be fine."

Reagins said he was "not concerned" about the offensive inconsistency of Gary Matthews Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero, who came into the weekend series batting .216 and .260, respectively.

"These guys are performers," Reagins said. "They've played at a high level over the years. Gary's struggling a little bit, but at the end of the day, he'll put up numbers. Vladdy is Vladdy. At some point -- he's already shown flashes -- he'll turn it up and be the hitter we're used to seeing."

Reagins praised Rodriguez, the middle infielder from Miami, and Arredondo, the hard-throwing reliever from the Dominican Republic. Both have excelled in their roles, Rodriguez's defense in Howie Kendrick's absence a big plus, while Arredondo has shown the ability and temperament to deliver zeros in middle relief or a setup role.

"It's pretty comforting to know Sean Rodriguez is playing some good defense," Reagins said. "He knows how to play the game. He's a very bright baseball player. He hasn't been intimidated, and that's good to see.

"Arredondo came in and stabilized some things in the bullpen. You don't win with 25 guys; you win with 40. That's the truth. Guys like Sean and Jose step in and fill roles that are needed."